Bull Sluice — a waterfall in Rabun County, Georgia — is a rewarding subject for landscape photographers. It sits roughly 11.1 km (6.9 mi) SE of Clayton.
Bull Sluice is a prominent rapid on the Chattooga River on the Georgia and South Carolina border in the United States which was featured in the film Deliverance. Its convenient location off of the US76 bridge makes it a popular destination for whitewater rafters and kayakers. The short hike to the rapid also makes it attractive to spectators. The Bull Sluice area is also a popular swimming hole, and is visited by dozens of swimmers on summer weekends. Swimmers can jump into the rapid, battle the current, or simply relax in the slower water on the S.C. side. Even small children regularly visit to play in the calm water at the edges. There is also a sandy beach a few hundred feet below the rapid. A sandy beach also appears just below Bull Sluice during low water.From the Wikipedia article “Bull Sluice”, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Sunrise & sunset directions
At Bull Sluice the sunrise point swings a long way through the year: about 61° (ENE) at the June solstice and 118° (ESE) in late December. Sunset moves from 300° (WNW) in June to 242° (WSW) in December, and the midday sun climbs to 79° in summer but only 32° in winter.
| Date | Sunrise | Azimuth | Sunset | Azimuth | Noon sun | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March equinox (Mar 20) | 7:38 AM | 90° E | 7:45 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 07m |
| June solstice (Jun 21) | 6:21 AM | 61° ENE | 8:51 PM | 300° WNW | 79° | 14h 30m |
| September equinox (Sep 22) | 7:22 AM | 89° E | 7:32 PM | 271° W | 55° | 12h 10m |
| December solstice (Dec 21) | 7:38 AM | 118° ESE | 5:27 PM | 242° WSW | 32° | 9h 49m |
Azimuth is measured clockwise from true north (90° = east, 270° = west). Computed for 2026; values change by less than a degree from year to year.
Golden hour & blue hour by month
Waterfalls photograph best in soft, even light: overcast days, deep shade, or the hour after sunrise before direct sun hits the water. Bright sun on white water blows highlights and adds harsh contrast.
| Month (15th) | Blue hour starts | Sunrise | Golden hour ends | Golden hour starts | Sunset | Blue hour ends | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 7:14 AM | 7:41 AM | 8:19 AM | 5:08 PM | 5:45 PM | 6:13 PM | 10h 04m |
| February | 6:54 AM | 7:20 AM | 7:55 AM | 5:42 PM | 6:17 PM | 6:42 PM | 10h 57m |
| March | 7:20 AM | 7:45 AM | 8:18 AM | 7:08 PM | 7:41 PM | 8:06 PM | 11h 56m |
| April | 6:36 AM | 7:02 AM | 7:36 AM | 7:32 PM | 8:06 PM | 8:32 PM | 13h 03m |
| May | 6:03 AM | 6:31 AM | 7:07 AM | 7:54 PM | 8:30 PM | 8:58 PM | 13h 59m |
| June | 5:51 AM | 6:20 AM | 6:58 AM | 8:12 PM | 8:49 PM | 9:19 PM | 14h 29m |
| July | 6:03 AM | 6:32 AM | 7:08 AM | 8:11 PM | 8:48 PM | 9:17 PM | 14h 16m |
| August | 6:28 AM | 6:54 AM | 7:29 AM | 7:48 PM | 8:23 PM | 8:50 PM | 13h 29m |
| September | 6:52 AM | 7:17 AM | 7:50 AM | 7:09 PM | 7:42 PM | 8:07 PM | 12h 25m |
| October | 7:14 AM | 7:40 AM | 8:14 AM | 6:26 PM | 7:00 PM | 7:25 PM | 11h 20m |
| November | 6:41 AM | 7:08 AM | 7:45 AM | 4:53 PM | 5:29 PM | 5:56 PM | 10h 21m |
| December | 7:06 AM | 7:34 AM | 8:13 AM | 4:45 PM | 5:24 PM | 5:52 PM | 9h 50m |
Local time (America/New York), including daylight saving time. Golden hour runs from about −4° to +6° solar altitude, so the morning golden hour begins during blue hour, before sunrise.
Milky Way & night sky
From Bull Sluice, the Milky Way core is visible in a dark sky from February through October. June gives the longest window (about 5.8 hours on a moonless night), and the core peaks around 26° above the southern horizon. Our light-pollution model puts the sky at about Bortle 3 (rural sky), good enough for detailed Milky Way images.
| Month | Core visible (15th) | Hours | Max altitude | Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Below 10° in darkness | — | 0° | — |
| February | 5:11 AM – 5:51 AM | 0.7 | 16° | SE → SE |
| March | 4:25 AM – 6:15 AM | 1.8 | 23° | SE → SSE |
| April | 2:24 AM – 5:24 AM | 3.0 | 26° | SE → S |
| May | 12:28 AM – 4:48 AM | 4.3 | 26° | SE → SSW |
| June | 10:35 PM – 4:25 AM | 5.8 | 26° | SE → SW |
| July | 10:30 PM – 3:00 AM | 4.5 | 26° | SSE → SW |
| August | 9:55 PM – 1:05 AM | 3.2 | 26° | S → SW |
| September | 9:07 PM – 10:57 PM | 1.8 | 23° | SSW → SW |
| October | 8:24 PM – 9:04 PM | 0.7 | 16° | SW → SW |
| November | Below 10° in darkness | — | 2° | — |
| December | Below 10° in darkness | — | -18° | — |
Window when the galactic core is at least 10° high during astronomical darkness on the 15th of each month. Pick nights within a few days of the new moon. Plan exact nights with the Milky Way planner.
Estimated sky darkness: 3 Bortle 3 — Rural sky. Some light domes sit on the horizon, but the Milky Way still looks complex overhead. Modeled zenith brightness ≈ 21.59 mag/arcsec².
Weather & best season
Long-term NASA satellite data for this area show October as the clearest month (about 44% average cloud cover) and February as the cloudiest (59%). July is the warmest month and January the coldest, which matters for gear, snow access and how long batteries last at night.
Average cloud cover (%)
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 72 | 75 | 81 | 86 | 92 | 108 | 107 | 103 | 100 | 100 | 84 | 74 |
| Low °F | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 34 | 49 | 55 | 54 | 40 | 27 | 18 | 12 |
| Precip. (in) | 4.5 | 5.1 | 4.7 | 4.4 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 5.7 |
Monthly climatology for the surrounding 1° grid cell from NASA POWER (MERRA-2). Mountain sites can be colder and cloudier than the cell average.
Photography tips for this waterfall
- Look for a foreground: a mossy boulder, a fallen log or the creek's leading lines make a stronger frame than the falls alone.
- Keep a microfiber cloth handy — spray drifts onto the lens, especially at the plunge pool.
- Bracket shutter speeds: 1/8 s, 1/2 s and 2 s give very different water textures and you can choose later.
- A 3-stop ND filter lets you use slow shutter speeds even when the light is bright.
- Shoot a vertical and a horizontal frame; tall falls often work better in portrait orientation.
- Scout in daylight if you plan to shoot at night or before sunrise.
Season: Peak flow is usually in late spring; autumn adds color around the falls, and winter can bring ice formations at colder locations.
Suggested gear: Tripod, Circular polarizer, 3–6 stop ND filter, Lens cloth, Waterproof footwear. Work out exposures with the depth of field, ND filter and NPF rule calculators.
Nearby photo spots
Other locations within 25 km of Bull Sluice, closest first.
Waterfall
Waterfall
WaterfallWaterfall
Mountain PassWaterfall
WaterfallWaterfallWaterfallCampgrounds nearby (Recreation.gov)
- Whetstone Horse Camp9.3 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Cassidy Bridge Primitive Camp9.4 km (5.8 mi) · reservable
- Willis Knob Horse Camp12.1 km (7.5 mi) · reservable
- Sarah'S Creek Campground (Clayton, Ga) 13.2 km (8.2 mi) · reservable
- Lake Rabun Beach Recreation Area17.2 km (10.7 mi) · reservable
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Bull Sluice?
What time is golden hour at Bull Sluice?
Where does the sun rise and set at Bull Sluice?
Can you see the Milky Way from Bull Sluice?
Do you need a permit to photograph at Bull Sluice?
How far is Bull Sluice from Clayton?
Sources
Location data: Wikidata, Wikipedia. Sun, moon and Milky Way times are computed by LWPhoto Atlas for 2026. Climate: NASA POWER. Sky darkness is a population-based estimate (Walker's law), not a measurement. See data sources & licenses.